Sy Montgomery

National Book Award finalist Sy Montgomery reflects on the personalities and quirks of 13 animals--her friends--who have profoundly affected her in this stunning, poetic, and life-affirming memoir featuring illustrations by Rebecca Green.

A Memoir in Thirteen Animals

How to be a Good Creature

I really enjoyed this book. It dove deep into how various animals affected her life. Also, I loved how I learned about species I never knew existed. :D

kayla 

National Book Award finalist Sy Montgomery reflects on the personalities and quirks of 13 animals—her friends—who have profoundly affected her in this stunning, poetic, and life-affirming memoir featuring illustrations by Rebecca Green. Understanding someone who belongs to another species can be transformative. No one knows this better than author, naturalist, and adventurer Sy Montgomery. To research her books, Sy has traveled the world and encountered some of the planet’s rarest and most beautiful animals. From tarantulas to tigers, Sy’s life continually intersects with and is informed by the creatures she meets. This restorative memoir reflects on the personalities and quirks of thirteen animals—Sy’s friends—and the truths revealed by their grace. It also explores vast themes: the otherness and sameness of people and animals; the various ways we learn to love and become empathetic; how we find our passion; how we create our families; coping with loss and despair; gratitude; forgiveness; and most of all, how to be a good creature in the world.

How to Be a Good Creature

Chasity Mayo

** spoiler alert **
           This book is adorable and definitely not what I expected. Instead of being a collection of lessons from animals, it leans more towards being a conglomerate of touching experiences. There were a few lessons at the end of every chapter, but the entirety of the book is just Sy recounting her different encounters with different species. I wish there were more chapters that included non-domestic species, as four of the chapters are about her dogs. Here are the lessons I learned from each specific chapter: 
1. Molly (Dog) - Animals provide us with friendship and unconditional love. 
2. Bald Throat, Black Head, and Knackered Leg (Emus) - We are deserving of love even in untraditional situations. 
3. Christopher Hogwood (Pig) - Love what life provides you, even if sometimes it is not wrapped neatly. 
4. Clarabelle (Spider) - Even the smallest, weirdest species are sentient. They experience the world in a completely different way and we should honor their experience. 
5. Christmas Weasel - We should allow more space in our hearts when experiencing grief. 
6. Tess (Dog) - We can overcome our past traumas, and we are all deserving of love and happiness. 
7. Chris and Tess II (Echidnas) - Remember to look up during your journey and witness the beauty around you. Also, the presence of those passed on shows up in abstract ways. 
8. Sally (Dog) - Each experience allows us to expand our capacity to love others. 
9. Octavia (Octopus) - The universe is bursting with vibrancy. 
10. Thurbur (Dog) - Sometimes the world’s greatest blessings come when we least expect them. 
Overall, I really liked this book. It was wholesome and filled with wonderful memories.

Kim Tyo-Dickerson

For everyone who loves animals, domestic or wild, large or small, vertebrates or invertebrates, at home or abroad, Sy Montgomery reminds us to treasure those moments we spend with the creatures who share our homes and our earth.

Also highly recommended, her book about the tiny runt piglet that won her heart and connected her to her neighbors, The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood

Emma Bickford

This book was too awesome! I learned so much about different animals, especially the octopus at the New England Aquarium. Full of adventure, personality, and special life lessons, this book is the perfect read for people interested in animals and creatures of all kinds — especially what they can teach humans and the interesting ways in which our lives intersect with theirs.

How to be a Good Creature A Memoir in Thirteen Animals

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